Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT)

The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program(42 U.S.C. § 3796ff) assists states and local governments to develop and implement substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities and to create and maintain community-based aftercare services for offenders. The goal of the RSAT Program is to break the cycle of drugs and violence by reducing the demand for, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs. RSAT enhances the capability of states and units of local government to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates; prepares offenders for their reintegration into the communities from which they came by incorporating reentry planning activities into treatment programs; and assists offenders and their communities through the reentry process through the delivery of community-based treatment and other broad-based aftercare services.

RSAT funds may be used to implement three types of programs: residential, jail-based, and aftercare. At least 10 percent of the total state allocation shall be made available to local correctional and detention facilities - provided such facilities exist - for either residential substance abuse treatment programs or jail-based substance abuse treatment programs.

Residential

Last at least 6 months and no more than 12 months.

Provide in residential treatment facilities set apart - in completely separate facility or dedicated housing unit in a facility exclusively for use by RSAT participants - from the general correctional population.

Focus on the substance abuse problems of the inmate.

Develop the inmate's cognitive, behavioral, social, vocational, and other
skills to solve the substance abuse and related problem.

Begin or continue requiring urinalysis and/or other proven reliable forms of drug and alcohol testing for program participants and former participants while they remain in the custody of the state or local government.

If possible, RSAT participation should be limited to inmates with 6 to 12 months remaining in their confinement so they can be released from prison instead of returning to the general prison population after completing the program.

Jail, Local Correctional Facilities

Last at least 3 months.

Strive to separate the treatment population from the general correctional population.

Focus on the substance abuse problems of the inmate.

Develop the inmate's cognitive, behavioral, social, vocational, and other skills to solve the substance abuse and related problems.

Aftercare

States are required to give preference to subgrant applicants providing aftercare services to program participants. Aftercare services must involve coordination between the correctional treament program and other social service and rehabilitation programs, such as education and job training, parole supervision, halfway houses, self-help, and peer group programs. A state may use amounts received for aftercare if the chief executive officer of the state certifies that the state is providing, and will continue to provide, an adequate level of residential treatment services. To qualify as an aftercare program, the head of the substance abuse treatment program must work in conjunction with state and local authorities and organizations involved in substance abuse treatment to assist in the placement of program participants into community substance abuse treatment facilites on release.

Post-Release Treatment

A state may use RSAT funds to provide treatment to offenders for a period not to exceed 1 year after release. No more than 10 percent of the total award may be used for treatment of those released from a state facility.

Match

The federal share of a grant-funded project may not exceed 75 percent of the project's total cost. The 25 percent matching funds may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. See the OJP Financial Guide (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/index.htm) for information and examples of what constitutes match.